My name is Mike. The short version of my experience with cancer started with the discovery of a small lump in my abdomen on my right side in the month February of this year. I thought little of it and expected that it would go away. An ultrasound of the lump showed nothing particularly unusual and the doctor informed me that it was probably just a "lipoma" and nothing more came of it. Unfortunately, the lump began to get larger. As time passed and the lump grew, I had the lump scanned with a CT imaging device with the diagnosis of "hematoma" or basically, a large bruise. No one could explain why it was there considering I had no trauma to that location. The lump continued to get larger until it was the size of a small grapefruit at which time the doctor at the county hospital decided to drain the hematoma. This was on June 6th. Following the attempted drainage of the hematoma by the use of a large syringe, it was discovered that in fact there was significant bleeding going on, and the drainage lasted all of five minutes before the lump was back to full size. With the assurance by the surgeon that he was going to stop the bleeding "even if he had to make a smoking crater out of the (affected) area" via a small surgical procedure which was completed that evening. It seemed as if all was well when three weeks later, I noticed that the lump was re-emerging. Indeed, I was bleeding again inside and the lump was growing steadily larger by the day. By August I was back in surgery to again remove a "hematoma". This time I was put on an anti-coagulant (Humate P) also over concerns that my factor eight level was identified as low. This time, the surgeon did a biopsy of the area under consideration, and it was discovered that I had cancerous tissue identified as a sarcoma (later identified as MFH) in the area of the bleeding. Chemotherapy followed to shrink the tumor so that less extensive surgery could be performed. Unfortunately there was little externally apparent effect and I continued to bleed into my abdominal region in the area of the rectus muscle. It was determined that I could wait no longer for surgery and I was referred to Dr. Warneke at the University of Arizona. He did a fine job resecting the area and stapling me back together with clear margins all around what was finally diagnosed as Sarcoma, NOS. I have been clear of all cancer to this date to my knowledge and hope to stay that way! Thank God and the wonderful care I received from the medical staff and all of the support I received from everyone I know, and many more who I did not know. The support of the online sarcoma alliance listserve was also highly appreciated.

Freshly excised, The tumor was over 1000g.

.

In the dish....

"Consider nonattachment to the outcome even while caring deeply about the self and others as you proceed on your journey"